Agency Unveiling Worker Assistance Plan

KISSIMMEE — Troubled employees who bring their problems into the workplace cost businesses money and time in lost efficiency, a situation that seems endemic to modern life.

To alleviate some of the economic burden to businesses faced with troubled employees, Mental Health Services of Osceola County is unveiling an employee assistance program that will be operated out of the Waterfront Center for Psychology.

The center, which will be a more upscale version of the agency's office on Emmett Street, also will provide individual counseling for those who do not want to come to the Emmett Street agency, said Dave Campbell, executive director of Mental Health Services.

Scheduled opening date of the new center is early July.

The employee assistance program will be a first for the county, and could be a boon to increased productivity for many businesses, mental health officials said.

Statistics show that alcohol-related problems cost businesses nationwide $65 billion in reduced productivity in 1983, according to the Alcohol Research Information Services in Lansing, Mich.

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost $5.3 billion in unemployment; and total costs for treatment, support, social welfare, crime and vehicle crashes was estimated at $116.7 billion.

That does not include losses resulting from marital, financial or personal problems.

Local figures are not compiled, but Dr. William Adrion with Mental Health Services said there appears to be an interest among businessmen to start an employee assistance program.

Adrion and Dr. Don Smith will operate the center; Smith will head the employee assistance program.

The program will train managers to recognize symptoms of a troubled employee, counseling for the employee and other types of seminars such as stress management for workers.

A stress management seminar already has been held for city of St. Cloud managers. Adrion said it was well-received.

The services will be provided on a contractual basis and counseling will be offered at a lower rate, Adrion said.

In addition to dealing with large companies or agencies such as the Kissimmee Correctional Center or the Department of Transportation, Adrion said he hopes the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce will work to form a consortium of small businesses. The consortium will be able to take advantage of the program at a reasonable cost.

Becky Cherney, director of human resources at Tupperware, said the company is considering an employee assistance program because ''we are aware of cost- containment.'' Healthy, productive employees are less costly, she said.

Disney also does not have such a program.

Employee assistance programs are not new. They have been around since the 1940s but have grown in popularity in recent years. Several Orange County companies either have in-house programs or contracts with private agencies. Martin Marietta uses an in-house program.

Stefan Johannsson, director of Cornerstone Institute in Maitland, said he has noticed an increase in demand for the service in the five years he has offered it.

Johannsson said the center works on a contractual basis with companies, most of which have provided positive feedback on the program.

He said the most common problems relate to communication among family members, spouses, co-workers and friends. Following that is alcohol and drug abuse, and marital and family problems.

Brevard County has two agencies that provide such programs.

The Brevard Mental Health Centers and Hospital Inc. provides services to more than 12,000 employees, including the school system and county government employees. Community relations director Mike Harle said the consortium was implemented by the center and he believes it was a first for the nation.

The Family Counseling Center in Titusville has offered employee assistance for six years and contracts with companies such as Xerox and General Electric. Robert Caldwell, executive director of the center, said his agency charges companies $18 a year per employee that is good for six free counseling sessions. Under the plan, employees can be referred by their supervisors or themselves. Everything is strictly confidential, Caldwell said.

The most common problems, he said, by order of frequency are marital and personal relationships, family relations, emotional problems, alcohol and drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse and occupational. ''Interestingly enough, there's nothing on job stress.''

However, the center does provide seminars on stress and time management and other job-related services.

''Without exception companies have told us that this is the best-spent money they've spent,'' Caldwell said.